


Mayday Situation Overload

by DrowningInStarlight



Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Episode 75, Episode Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Trauma, Yep it's another of these fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 23:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15254733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrowningInStarlight/pseuds/DrowningInStarlight
Summary: The auditorium was full of chaos.Or, the radio station going down and the immediate aftermath.





	Mayday Situation Overload

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Red, Blue (At World's End)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14614230) by [DrowningInStarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrowningInStarlight/pseuds/DrowningInStarlight). 



> Yeah, so last time I wrote a post 75 fic, "Red, Blue (At World's End)" I ended up absolutely hating it, so I wrote this almost immediately after. Except I kind of ended up hating this too, so I didn't post it for ages, until today when I found it and edited it to the point where I don't hate it anymore, so hooray! This follows on almost directly from Episode 75, and if any of it sounds familiar that's because it's loosely a rewrite of my last one. 
> 
> Also, jack-in-a-box jesus I miss kfam. Writing this made me realise that all over again!

The auditorium was full of chaos. 

The radio had cut out, that much Ben was sure of. The sound desk was aflame with warning lights, his fingers fumbled and shook as he tried to do something, _anything_ to get it back online. His chest felt tight, a frantic vision of the last few minutes played on repeat just behind his eyelids. 

Behind him, he could hear Emily talking on the phone, calling the emergency services, taking control of the situation. Doing the sensible thing. He knew he should be doing something ( _anything_ ), but he couldn't make himself move from the sound desk. Nothing was working, not the broadcast or the phone lines or his breathing.

"Sammy?" he said again, even though he knew, really, that the call had dropped out, "Sammy, can you hear me? Please, god, be okay--" His voice broke. 

"I'm going to go fetch him," Troy said, with a steadiness Ben knew he didn't really feel. "Hang in there, everyone-- it'll all be okay."

Emily turned back and said "Right, there's-- Ben, are you all right?" 

"I..."

"You look really pale--" 

"Oh my _god_!" Archie's piercing voice could be heard from where they were standing, even over the noise of the crowd. "The radio station is-- it's-- on _fire_!" 

Ben gave a glance at Emily, seeing his own panic mirrored in her eyes-- just for an instant, he allowed himself to feel pure hatred towards the rainbow lights, but then he put it aside, ( _wait, save it, not now, not when people need you_ ) He jumped down from the stage and ran towards the doors. 

The night air was cold after the pressing heat of the auditorium, and if he'd had any breath left it would have been taken. As it was he just stared, stared up at the mountain, up at the little radio station he'd loved so dearly for so long. 

It was burning. Archie hadn't been mistaken, flames lit up the dark hillside, a cloud of bitter grey smoke hanging above it like a vengeful creature, swirling and billowing. 

Ben hoped desperately that Chet was okay, because as uncomfortably sexual as the man always managed to be, he'd always been kind to Ben. He'd been the first person who'd given the nervous young intern a smile and a pat on the back, and Ben would always love him for that, and now the station was burning and maybe Chet was, too. 

He couldn't do this. He'd already lost too many people and right now the only thing he wanted was to bury himself in Sammy's arms and never let go. 

He heard Emily come out behind him, her little "oh," of shock and horror. 

"Did you--?" he began, but Emily nodded. 

"I called the fire department," she said. "I thought we'd need it, but... I didn't think it'd be as bad as that." 

"We've gotta do something, get up there and help, or--"

"I know, I know. I just... don't know what to do." She made a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. "I'm a librarian. I don't know how to deal with all this." 

"You're a certified badass," Ben told her. "If I'd gone through what you've been through-- and then heard about the rainbow lights--"  
"Don't," she said, her voice full of fractures. "I-- I'm sorry, I just can't think about them. I want to run away and hide so deep that no one can find me, not the lights or Frickard or anyone else. And if I think about it, then I'll start running and I won't ever stop and that's not fair. Not when people need me. Not when _Sammy_ needs me." 

"God fucking dammit I'm so in love with you," Ben said. 

Her face crumpled into a smile. "I love you too." 

The howling of sirens cut through the air as the fire engines drove past, headed for the mountain. There was a paramedic car hurtling along ahead of them, and Ben was hit with a new wave of worry for Chet.

"We've gotta get up there," he said. 

"My car's closest." 

 

______ 

 

When Ben had been seven, the house opposite his had burned down. He'd been asleep when it happened, and hadn't known about it until he'd left for school that morning. Then he'd been hit by the acrid smell of smoke, seen the blackened beams of the house, like a skeleton leering at him in the early morning light. He'd stared at it for a long time, his first experience of uncontrollable disaster, and then he turned and ran, arriving at school terrified and out of breath. 

This was all that childish fear multiplied by a thousand, because this wasn't the house of an almost-stranger, this was _his_ place. 

The flames were still climbing high, the smoke still pouring off the station. It made everything hazy, lights bleeding through the darkness. Ben felt as though everything he was seeing was being permanently seared into his brain, snapshots of horror and smoky, faded colour. 

He heard someone drive up behind him, and dragged his eyes away from the devastation of the radio station. He peered through the smoke and realised it was Troy's truck. 

He was running towards it before he'd even had time to think. It was a gut reaction, pure animal instinct-- _gather your pack, protect it_. 

"Sammy!"

He could feel Emily close on his heels, hear her frantic breathing, her whispered words-- _please, please, Sammy, please be okay_ \-- and then the passenger door of the truck opened and every other thought left his mind. 

Sammy stumbled out of the truck. His face was scared and tear-stained, he was crying. Troy got out of the driver's side, and came round to stand next to him. 

"I found him out on Route 72," Troy said. "Not a rainbow light in sight, thank god." 

Ben stopped a few feet in front of them. He stared at Sammy, who stared back with tear filled eyes. 

"Ben," Sammy said, his voice hoarse. 

At this, Ben didn't hesitate, and practically threw himself into Sammy's arms. Any other time, Sammy would have made a joke, ruffled Ben's hair-- now, he just clung to Ben and pressed his face into his hair. 

"Don't leave me," Ben whispered, "Goddammit, Sammy, please don't leave me--"

"I won't," Sammy whispered back, "Fuck, I won't, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." 

" _Fucking_ hell, I'm so glad you're okay," Ben said. "What would we do without you, Sammy--"

There was a horrible _crunch_ from behind them, and Ben reluctantly let go of Sammy to see that the roof of the station had collapsed in, sending a massive cloud of sparks high into the sky. 

"Chet," Ben said, "Oh god, oh god. I--" 

He looked at Emily, who nodded. "I'll find out what's happening," she said. "Stay with Sammy."

"Hurry, Em." Ben's world was collapsing, but all he could do was clutch Sammy and sob.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "For Baltimore" by All Time Low, because they're my go-to writing music at the moment. 
> 
> Did you enjoy? Leave a comment! I answer and appreciate every single one.


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